Perfect shot
by darkotter
Summary: All it took was Heihachi, a pinecone, and Kyuzo's short temper...


This is another random story from the computer of Dark-otter-dreaming! Got the idea from Wolf-of-words, and I would like to thank her also for being my beta! I hope you like it!

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It was a wonderfully sunny day. Heihachi sat in a lower branch of one of the many large trees in the forest surrounding Kanna Village. Even if the branch that he was perched on was one of the lowest branches of the tree, he was still around 15 feet up in the air, a good distance from anything or anyone who happened to wander by.

He signed, leaning back onto the trunk of the rough tree. It was so peaceful out in the forest, high above anything or anyone that would disturb him. He sat up again, opening his eyes and looked around. He had heard something below him. He swung his legs over the branch and put his hands back so that he would have some stability in cause he lost his balance, and peered down onto the forest floor.

At first he didn't see anyone, but as he stared, Kyuzo came walking through the bushes, still equipped with his swords and red jacket. He seemed to be thinking, and his usual very precise senses did not seem to be on the usual level.

Heihachi sniggered, putting his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. _Perfect chance…_ he thought to himself, _to practice my aim._ He looked around for something to throw at the blonde samurai. He looked up and saw a pinecone. _If I could just reach it and not get his attention…_ he thought, putting his tongue between his teeth.

He stretched and grasped the pinecone. He looked down once more to see if Kyuzo had noticed anything. It didn't seem that Kyuzo had noticed much of anything, so he yanked and the pinecone fell onto his hand. He grinned to himself. _This will be fun!_ He thought, gripping the pinecone in his hand.

Heihachi looked down at Kyuzo again. He had stopped by a tree and was leaning up against it. He gripped the pinecone more tightly, his tongue still between his teeth and launched the pinecone through the air. It fell through the air, going faster and faster and then… WONK!

The pinecone hit Kyuzo squarely in the head, and fell to the ground with a soft thump. Heihachi made a silent 'YES' with his hands that his mark had hit the target. He looked down to see Kyuzo standing very still. _What's wrong? I didn't throw it that hard._ He thought, watching Kyuzo.

Kyuzo slowly looked up, his eyes traveling up the tree and stopped where Heihachi was perched on the branch, looking down at him.

Heihachi smiled, but the smile disappeared when he saw the look that Kyuzo was giving him. _Oh… maybe I shouldn't have done that._ He thought as Kyuzo walked towards the tree where he sat.

"Sorry Kyuzo! I-I didn't mean to!" Heihachi yelled down to Kyuzo. Heihachi stood up on the branch and scooted back, because Kyuzo was looking very angry. "Look, I didn't mean-" Heihachi stopped talking. Kyuzo stood at the base of the tree for a few seconds, then jumped, climbing the tree very quickly. "Uh oh…" Heihachi muttered to himself as Kyuzo approached the branch.

"Look, I didn't mean to! I wasn't _aiming_ for you!" Heihachi said, inching out onto the branch away from Kyuzo. "Um… Kyuzo…what are you doing!?" Heihachi said shakily, backing up more, getting towards the end of the branch. Kyuzo had pulled out one of his swords. He came closer to Heihachi. Heihachi backed up more, but the branch had run out. He looked over his shoulder to look down. It made him queasy, the height, and the fact that Kyuzo was walking towards him with his sword drawn.

"I'm just gonna… leave now!" Heihachi said, and jumped from the branch. He landed on the branch below him and then continued to run from branch to branch. Kyuzo followed him, still with one of his swords drawn.

When Heihachi reached the last branch, he looked around. _Uh oh… no where else to go! How did I get up here in the first place? I guess I am going to have to just jump… well here I go!_ He thought to himself, bracing himself and launched off the branch. He landed with a thump onto the ground, and fell. He sat up, slightly dazed, and shook his head. He looked up to see Kyuzo looked at him from the branch he had just left.

"Look Kyuzo! I didn't _mean_ to! It was an _accident_!" he said, getting up from the ground and backing away from him. Kyuzo just stared at him, his eyes narrowed, then he jumped from the branch. He landed gracefully, like a cat, on his feet. _Much more graceful than me, at least_. Heihachi thought as he continued to back away from Kyuzo.

Kyuzo stood, and held his sword out, pointed at Heihachi. Heihachi backed up even more and bumped into a tree. He looked around and then ran from Kyuzo. Kyuzo chased after him, through the forest.

"LOOK! IM SORRY! I WON'T DO IT AGAIN! I PROMISE!" Heihachi's voice carried through Kanna Village. Villagers and samurai alike looked around in surprise.

Shichiroji poked his head out of the house that he had been in to see Heihachi running as fast as he could. For a moment he was confused, but then it became clear as Kyuzo ran after Heihachi with his swords drawn.

Shichiroji followed, with the other villagers and the samurai. They found Heihachi huddling in a corner of two houses with Kyuzo standing in front of him with his two swords raised.

"Kyuzo, what are you doing!?" Shichiroji exclaimed, pushing his way through the crowd. Kyuzo paid no heed, and continued to stand there.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Heihachi whimpered, cringing as Kyuzo raised his swords higher. Kyuzo's eyes narrowed. His blades flashed in the sun. He stood there for a second, not moving, and then in on fluid movement, his swords came down, then they were in their sheath once more.

He stood there and then turned, walking away from Heihachi, the crowd parting to let him through. Everyone turned back to Heihachi, who was still in the corner, looking at something on the ground, his face white.

Shichiroji just looked at him for a second. "What's wrong Heihachi? He didn't do anything." He said, leaning down to look at Heihachi. Heihachi just looked up at Shichiroji, his eyes wide and his face still white. "Heihachi?" he said.

"He…my…I didn't…" he stammered, picking something off the ground. "All I did was through a pinecone! He didn't have to do that!" he said, holding out his hand. In his hand, lay Teru, cut in half. Shichiroji stood up, his hand covering his mouth.

"Heihachi…" he said, sighing and putting his hand on Heihachi's shoulder. "You can just fix it…" He smiled to Heihachi, and walked away, through the crowd. The villagers gradually dissipated, leaving Heihachi to stand there by himself, holding Teru, cut in half by Kyuzo's blades.

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"You better Heihachi?" Shichiroji asked the next day. "You're smiling."

"Yes!" Heihachi said, beaming.

"Oh, what did you do with your ghost?" He asked. Heihachi didn't say anything, just beamed again and walked off to his post.

Shichiroji just stared after him, scratching his head with his staff. He sighed but his hand fell to his side in amazement as he caught sight of something attacked to Heihachi's sword. He looked closer and his eyes widened. Just yesterday, that little thing had been cut in half, but now it was whole, beaming as it always had. Shichiroji scratched his head again, amazed. _Well, I guess he fixed it._ He thought to himself, for attached to the end of Heihachi's sword was Teru!

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Disclaimer - I do not own any characters from Samurai 7 


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